A woman and her child at Chennai Central on Wednesday. (Express Photo: Srini Vasu)

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami Wednesday blamed vendors for the Koyembedu market cluster, which has contributed to more than 2,000 cases in the state. In a meeting with district collectors, cabinet ministers, and other senior officials, the Chief Minister said the state government cannot be blamed as it held several rounds of talks with traders, but they refused to shift to a new location citing loss in revenue.

“More cases are being reported in Chennai because of population density. Close to 26 lakh people reside in slums in the Greater Chennai Corporation alone. Due to the congested neighborhood, the disease is spreading easily. Tamil Nadu stands on top among states in providing the best health care facilities. More people are getting discharged following treatment. The district collectors should ensure welfare schemes are reaching the public. Without the support of the public, we cannot control the spread of Covid_19,” Palaniswami said.

On migrant workers, Palaniswami reiterated the government was taking necessary steps to send them back to their home states. He said only 8-10 trains were allocated to the state, and workers were being sent in batches accordingly. He also said factories which were not in containment zones could operate with the minimum workforce.

The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister said ration supplies for the June month would be distributed free of cost. On Class X board exams, which are scheduled to take place from June 1 to June 12 in the state, Palaniswami said the district collector should ensure all necessary facilities, including transportation, were in place so that students could write their exams without any hurdles.

The Tamil Nadu Human Rights Commission Wednesday issued notice to Vaniyambadi Municipality’s police commissioner after a video went viral on social media showing the officer throwing fruits and vegetables and damaging vendors’ carts.

In the two-minute clip, Cecil Thomas, Commissioner, Vaniyambadi Municipality, was seen throwing fruits and vegetables kept for sale by the roadside vendors. The video drew sharp criticism and many demanded legal action against the officer.

“If street vendors violated the rules and regulations laid down during the lockdown period, the commissioner should take action against them in accordance with the law. But, in this incident, the respondent/commissioner had exceeded his powers and taken the law in his own hand, which resulted vandalism,” the notice read.

The commission had taken suo moto cognizance based on the news broadcast by a Tamil channel on May 12. The HRC said the commissioner’s action showed his high handedness towards the vendors. It called for a detailed report from the state municipal administration and from Commissioner Thomas within two weeks.

509 Covid-19 cases reported in Tamil Nadu today

Tamil Nadu reported 509 new Covid-19 cases on Wednesday with 380 cases being reported from Chennai alone. Five passengers who landed in Chennai from other countries under the Vande Bharat Mission tested positive for the disease. Till date, 927 passengers who have returned form other countries have been tested in Chennai and Trichy airports, and nine have tested positive for Covid-19.

According to the Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department, there are 6,984 active cases of Covid-19 in the state and 64 deaths, while 2,164 patients have been treated and discharged. As many as 12,780 samples were tested on Wednesday, taking the total to 2, 79,467 so far.

On Wednesday, three deaths were reported the state, all from Chennai. A 41-year-old male who was admitted in Kilpauk MCH with diabetes died due to respiratory failure. A 43-year-old male who was referred from a private hospital and was admitted in RGGH with diabetes died due to pneumonia/respiratory failure. The third patient was a 48-year-old male with systematic hypertension, who had been admitted in RGGH. He died due to bilateral pneumonia/respiratory failure.

On Wednesday, apart from Chennai, 25 cases were reported in Thiruvallur and Chengalapattu, 23 in Thiruvannamalai, and 17 in Cuddalore. For the first time since the outbreak, 21 districts reported zero cases on Wednesday.

So far, 529 children below the age of 12 have tested positive for Covid_19 in Tamil Nadu. Most of the patients (8,068) were in the age group between 13-69. At least 630 cases have been reported from the age group of above 60.